Very few genres are as popular as superhero films. They bring together comic book fans, action lovers, comedy lovers, and lovers of all kinds of films in a way that very few other types of films have been capable of. The largest franchise of these films is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest installment in this grand saga is “Captain America: Brave New World.”

“Captain America: Brave New World” is a story about a conspiracy within the United States government following a presidential election, along with a world-changing discovery causing issues between the United States and the Japanese Governments.

While “Captain America: Brave New World” is the fourth installment in the Captain America film series, it is the first in the series without Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, also known as the title character. After Rodgers retired from the role, he left the legacy of Captain America in the hands of Sam Wilson, portrayed by Anthony Mackie. The struggles accompanying the inheritance of such an important role were explored in the television series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Now that Wilson is wholly cemented in his role as Captain America, he is receiving his first feature-length adventure on the silver screen and is the film’s highlight. Mackie has always brought so much joy and passion into his performance as the Falcon, and now, as Captain America, he brings that same heart to the role. Mackie’s excitement to play this iconic character is evident through every line delivered. He adds so much fun and whimsy to the role that makes his character unique from Evans’ portrayal of the Star Spangled Man.

In addition to the lead, the supporting cast is mostly full of well-written, unique, and personal characters.

Danny Ramirez portrays Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon now that Sam Wilson has moved on to being Captain America. Torres was introduced in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” but in this film, he is given the time to breathe and develop in ways he could not before. During Wilson’s time as the Falcon, he worked as the perfect partner to Steve Rogers, and all of the best parts of their relationship have been captured through Sam and Joaquin. Not only do they retread the same water from previous films, but they also build on that dynamic through more of a mentor and mentee relationship, which allows for more intriguing drama and development.

Another standout side character from the film is Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley. Bradley was another character that debuted in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Bradley’s story is a heartbreaking tale of racism and the evil acts committed by the government. Lumbly delivers one of the most heart-wrenching performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After the tragic passing of William Hurt, who played Thaddeus Ross, Harrison Ford has stepped in to continue bringing Ross to the silver screen. Ford delivers one of the best performances of his career. His ability to make viewers despise yet empathize with Ross is nothing short of fantastic. He portrays stress and panic in one of the most relatable yet unique ways ever seen on screen.

While Ford’s performance as Ross is one of the film’s highlights, his later transformation into the villain Red Hulk is where the film begins to fall apart. While in concept, the story of the president becoming the villainous monster of the film is a very intriguing concept, in execution, it felt rushed. That is a criticism that applies to several other aspects of the film. Many plot points and characters feel shoved into the story as if they were added during reshoots or in the last moments of production.

Rushed plot points are not the only issues with the film’s story. Another one of the large issues with the story is the way it heavily relies on the viewer having seen several other movies and shows within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The three projects most pertinent to the plot of “Captain America: Brave New World” are “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “The Eternals,” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Without having seen these projects, the plot is almost impossible for those who are not devout Marvel fans to understand.

The main antagonist, Samuel Sterns, is a character who was introduced to the story and had his complete origin story take place in “The Incredible Hulk.” This causes the antagonist to feel profoundly disconnected from the plot and the rest of the characters, aside from President Thaddeus Ross, who was also introduced in “The Incredible Hulk.”

A film is more than just its story, though. First and foremost, film is a visual medium, and like the story, the visuals also have very high highs and very low lows. While most of the fight scenes are over-edited and cut to a new angle far too often and have boring generic lighting, other scenes are full of beautiful and unique lighting and manage to linger on a character’s face the perfect amount, allowing one shot to tell its own story.

While a majority of the action scenes are nothing special, as one would expect from a character whose gimmick is flight, the aerial combat and set pieces are some of the highlights of the film. Sam and Joaquin’s ability to fly allows for more unique combat and helps differentiate Sam from Steve’s more up-close, grounded, and traditional fighting style.

Another visual standout of the film is the Captain America shield. The way the camera follows it during combat stands out because it’s the few times the camera remains in one long shot instead of cutting every few seconds. The vibrant red, blue, and silver of the shield add a unique source of light to dark and dimly lit scenes.

“Captain America: Brave New World” is unique yet predictable, so blad yet so full of life, so entertaining yet so flawed. While these flaws are evident throughout the film, they don’t ruin it by any means. Flaws and all, “Captain America: Brave New World” is a film made for passionate Marvel lovers, action fans, and anyone who can overlook the flaws to enjoy the adventures of the new Captain America.

This story was originally published on Lakewood Times on February 18, 2025.